ELMA EIDSE NEUFELD
FINE ART
- layerings of the soul -
about
torn-edge relief
Welcome! A defining quality of Elma Eidse Neufeld's body of work is the layering up of media with memories, which results in the creation of visual allegories. Handmade and other specialty papers are torn and applied in layers to blanket the surface, with ink and paint worked in to create strong, atmospheric effects.
The artist draws upon both her low-relief (more painterly) and high relief (more sculptural) applications of her unique Torn-Edge* style of collage, depending on how the subject speaks to her. Both consistently hold emotional depth, expressive line, satisfying texture and mature use of colour.
Elma's extensive exhibition CV indicates this well-established mixed media collage style, including awards by the Federation of Canadian Artists and recognition as a Canadian mixed media collage artist by the National Gallery of Canada.
Elma's collages are infused with what the artist describes as
meditative impressions between the soul and spirit.
Randal McIlroy of the Winnipeg Free Press described Elma's work as
a sublime and musical conjuring.
Further, Lorenda Harder (BFA, BEd) said
Award-winning artist Elma Neufeld is consistent in her voice and vision - expressing deep, honest impressions of each subject alongside brilliant handling of media.
*Torn-Edge Relief ©1991 Elma Neufeld. Includes low-relief and high-relief torn paper collage with and without applications of inks and paints.
artist's statement
Elma Eidse Neufeld
Born
Winnipeg, MB, Canada
Presently
Settled and working in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada
Media
Mixed Media Collage:
papers, inks, paint
Style
Torn-Edge Paper Relief
I believe that whatever I create expresses my life experiences - of who I am and of what I have encountered. Each exploration, each decision, adds another layer and another line to my artistic exposition.
The stronger, earthy lines and textures in my work represent reality - like the earth underfoot - while the rhythmic lines of the torn edges symbolize the ethereal aspects of the soul, reborn into my collage.
about
the artist
biography
Elma Eidse Neufeld spent her childhood on the Canadian prairies. Dreaming of becoming an artist, she attended Forum Art Institute in Winnipeg, Manitoba, under the direction of one of its founders, Nikola Bjelajac, and soon began showing her work publicly. Elma continued her studies at the University of Manitoba School of Art and on scholarships to the world-renowned Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in British Columbia and acquired specific techniques from other recognized artists.
After relocating from Manitoba to British Columbia, Elma continued to establish herself in art circles from Kelowna to Vancouver. She worked out of her home studio perched atop Pincushion Mountain for three decades. Chateauroc; from there, both the beauty of the breathtaking Okanagan Valley and her travels abroad fuelled her work. It is during this time that she fully developed her unique style of collage:
Torn-Edge Relief©
Elma has recently rooted herself back in the prairies, just beyond the foothills of the Rockies, where she continues to work from a new studio space in Medicine Hat, Alberta, given the inspiring, layered rocks of the nearby coulees.
She invites you to explore some of her work here and to contact her directly to enquire about her work or to visit her home studio.
